


Vas Qwib-Qwib

by Embersalamander



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Quarian, Quarians, Rannoch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-28
Updated: 2014-01-28
Packaged: 2018-01-10 10:07:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1158350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Embersalamander/pseuds/Embersalamander
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not everyone from the civilian ships perished in Rannoch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vas Qwib-Qwib

_She had been running for hours, dragging her broken leg behind her. She was panting, her helmet had broken on impact and she still felt the blunt pain of the broken pieces which had pierced her skin. She tripped and fell. Cursing, she tried to stand up, her legs shaking. She turned to them._

One of them had survived. One of the civilians was alive. Zaal’Koris couldn’t stop his hands from shaking when they told him that a scouting group had found one of the crewmembers of the Qwib-Qwib barely alive. Even if it was just one, this small ray of light, this figment of hope.

But now, standing in front of the medical bay, hands crossed behind his back waiting for the medics to let him in, he was afraid. Afraid that this person wouldn’t want to see him. Afraid of seeing a hateful gaze. Afraid to be blamed for the deaths of everyone dear to them. Which was only the truth.

_Even if she had held a weapon for the first time only one day ago, she had been lucky and hadn’t missed a single shot. Now there was only one left. And only one geth was approaching her, aiming its gun. She did not wait a single second and aimed her own, wishing for the best, but in the last moment, her broken leg gave up and her shot hit the ground. Cursing in a breathless voice, she fell to the ground. Her vision blurred by tears and blood, she could see the geth getting closer and aiming for a headshot._

He walked through a decontaminating mist and entered the medical bay. A nurse greeted him and guided him to a room. On the other side of a glass panel there was a girl, not even a woman, a girl who wouldn’t be older than fifteen. She was unmasked and driking from a glass of water one of the nurses was offering her. There were several bandages across her head, covering one of her eyes, but Zaal could still see that she had short clear hair and, more importantly, that in her eyes was only tired relief and liveliness.

“Hi Admiral” she said turning to him, trying a military salute. Zaal couldn’t contain a smile, seeing her use the incorrect arm. “How are you doing?”

“I should be asking you that question. What’s your name?”

She smiled, trying to lift herself to a sitting position, aided by the nurses.

“Kel’Lia…” she doubted half a second. “… vas Qwib-Quib nar Qwib-Qwib.”

He almost commented that there was no more Qwib-Qwib but bit his tongue. This was the last thing the child needed.

“So, how are you feeling Kel?”

“Alive. Many can’t take pride in that.” He cringed, there it was. As if she could see through his mask, she quickly added. “I mean, considering how a few days ago I thought I was going to become a splotch of blood on Rannoch’s soil, I guess I’m lucky. People have been very nice to me, they’ve told me I rule.”

Her childish smile warmed his heart.

“I heard that you shot down several enemies and survived for almost two days with no food and no sleep. That is actually quite impressive.”

Her smile broadened with pride. There were a few seconds of uncomfortable silence before he asked.

“Do you have anywhere to go now?”

_Then everything stopped. The geth stood still, and slowly lowered its weapon. Between sharp whimpering breaths, she looked at it. It seemed to be doubting whether to approach her or not._

_“Apologies, Creator.” That was what it said._

_She didn’t have time to question what she had heard before everything turned black._

She lowered her head.

“I guess I’ll go to a refuge. Maybe help with rebuilding when I’m better. I don’t think I’m ready to be near geth just yet. And I don’t even know if we are going to keep doing the Pilgrimage.”

“I don’t think you will need to, anyway. You have gained enough experience and you’ve brought back to us a life we thought was lost. That’s better than any resource.”

She seemed moved by this. “And… And I want to join the military! They say I have a natural skill with guns.”

His smile disappeared; this girl shouldn’t have to hold a gun ever again. But decided to not to burst her bubble.

“I hope a few centuries pass before we need your natural skill with guns.”

She laughed and a pained expression crossed her face. She put a hand over her bandaged cheek whispering a small “ow”. There was another uncomfortable silence until Zaal dared to ask.

“Your parents?”

She took a while to answer. “Mom died from an infection after childbirth. Dad… he died in the crash-landing.”

Zaal swallowed and put one of his hands over the glass, losing his straight posture.

“I’m sorry.”

She was quick to sake her head, with an angry expression.

“No. I know what you’re thinking but you don’t have to… “he was about to speak but she cut him off. “Shut up! … Admiral.” She added. “I was told everything about what happened. I was really angry, yes, but I had time to give it some thought. And I would have done the same.”

“You lost your family.”

“We gained our homeworld, our allies. The Migrant Fleet was my family. There wouldn’t be anything left of it if it weren’t for that decision.”

Her look was sincere. She was sad but also hopeful, frowning but with a determined expression in her curled lips.

“Thank you.” His voice broke at the end of the sentence, he coughed. “At least you get to be ‘vas Rannoch’” he added jokingly after a few seconds.

Her smile returned.

“Nah. I’m keeping ‘vas Qwib-Qwib.’”

“Why?”

She lifted her hand and placed it over Zaal’s, at the other side of the glass.

“So I can keep my home with me.”


End file.
